23rd Gulf Cup: Qatar to begin title defense against Yemen
Date
12/20/2017 8:03:05 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Defending champions Qatar will begin Gulf Cup title defense against Yemen as the Arab Gulf Cup football Federation (AGCFF) yesterday announced schedule for the 23rd edition of prestigious tournament starting in Kuwait on Friday.
Al Anabi, who overcame Saudi Arabia 2-1 following an exciting final of 2014 edition in Riyadh, will kick off their campaign on December 23 the second day of the regional competition.
The hugely popular event will get under way with a match between hosts Kuwait and Saudi Arabia at Jaber Al Ahmad Stadium on Friday.
The second match of the opening day will see Oman and the UAE in action.
After meeting Yemen, Qatar who are bracketed in Group B along with Bahrain and Iraq besides Yemen, will clash with Iraq in their second match on December 26. Group A comprises ten-time champions Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman.
Coach Felix Sanchez's side will meet Bahrain their last group match on Friday.
Top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals which will be played on January 2, 2018 with the final scheduled on January 5.
Meanwhile, coachSanchez is expected to announce the Qatari squad tomorrow following which the team will leave for Kuwait.
The squad is expected to be a mix of youth and experience with Al Sadd likely to contribute five players while four players from giants Al Duhail are expected to be part of national team.
Qatar had encouraging preparations for the important assignment as Al Anabi produced impressive performances in the friendly matches against big teams like Czech Republic and Iceland.
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